Washington, D.C.- Congressman Mel Watt (NC-12) issued the following statement congratulating Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) on receiving a $1.9 million grant from the Department of Education’s pilot Leadership for Educators’ Advanced Performance initiative.  This initiative’s focus is to recruit and retain high-quality teachers and principals for the most hard-to-staff schools and subjects.  CMS will partner with the Community Training and Assistance Center, a national non-profit that works with school districts, to launch a “pay-for-performance” program in six CMS schools, five of which are located in Congressman Watt’s district:  Wilson Middle School and West Charlotte, West Mecklenburg, Waddell and Garinger High Schools. 

 

Congressman Watt said: “I was happy to support the request of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for funding to support this innovative program.  Attracting the best and most motivated and qualified teachers to teach at schools that have the most challenging student populations will require paying them more.  The notion that all schools and students must be treated equally is a notion that must be tested and, if the results show otherwise, must be challenged.  This grant allows the test to begin.”